A few days back I came across a blog post that asked the hypothetical question: What card(s) do you think will retain their value in the future.

Well, folks, you’re looking at one of them right here. Today I honor the 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie card. It took me several years to get my hands on one of these, but earlier this week my copy finally arrived.

For the last three years — the time in which I really started to add serious vintage rookie cards to my collection — I’ve been waiting and waiting for the right time to pounce on a Clemente rookie. And honestly, there never has been a right time because these things are getting harder to find, thus becoming more expensive. Consider this: This copy probably cost me about 50 percent more than what it would have cost me had I just bit the bullet and bought it in 2005 or 2006. What other rookie card do you know of that has increased in value — and maintained that level for some time — like that? Continue reading →